Apprenticeship Navigator & Leadership Development Coach

Role Purpose

The Apprenticeship Navigator & Leadership Development Coach is a shared, bridge-building role designed to ensure Black men in the Teacher Apprenticeship Minnesota program are retained, supported, affirmed, and developed as educators and leaders.

This middle-level leadership role combines:

• Direct apprentice navigation, advocacy, and retention support
• Leadership coaching and culturally responsive professional learning
• Program representation, recruitment, and storytelling
• Deep partnership between Teacher Apprenticeship Minnesota and Black Men Teach

By operating across both organizations, this role ensures Black Men Teach maintains a strong, ongoing presence in the apprenticeship ecosystem while strengthening apprentice persistence, leadership identity, and long-term success.

While this is a shared, partnership-funded role, Black Men Teach maintains full supervisory responsibility, with Teacher Apprenticeship Minnesota serving as a strategic funding and programmatic partner.

• Apprentice Navigation & Coaching
  • Serve as a trusted navigator and advocate for Black men (and select other apprentices, as appropriate) enrolled in Teacher Apprenticeship Minnesota.
  • Provide individual coaching and check-ins focused on:
    • Navigating school and district culture
    • Identity, belonging, and racialized workplace dynamics
    • Professional growth, confidence, and instructional practice
  • Support apprentices experiencing unsupportive or hostile environments, partnering with Teacher Apprenticeship Minnesota staff, district leaders, mentors, and supervisors as needed.
  • Track apprentice engagement, progress, and risk indicators; intervene early to prevent attrition.
• Leadership Development & Cohort Learning (BMT-Aligned Work)
  • Design and facilitate cohort-based professional learning experiences grounded in:
    • Anti-racist and culturally responsive teaching
    • Leadership identity development for Black male educators
    • Classroom presence, communication, and influence
  • Integrate BMT’s leadership and brotherhood model into apprenticeship-aligned programming.
  • Serve as a connector between apprentices and Black Men Teach programming, fellow networks, and leadership opportunities.
• Program Collaboration & Instructional Support
  • Collaborate with course faculty, mentors, field supervisors, and instructional coaches to ensure apprentices receive coherent, high-quality support.
  • Serve as a thought partner on:
    • Course design and refinement
    • Field-based learning experiences
    • Feedback and continuous improvement systems
  • Support data collection, reflection, and reporting related to apprentice experience and outcomes.
• Recruitment, Partnerships & Pipeline Growth
  • Support recruitment of new apprentices, with an emphasis on Black men and candidates of color.
  • Partner with:
    • School districts
    • Community-based organizations (e.g., Freedom Schools)
    • Higher education partners
  • Assist with outreach, info sessions, and relationship-building to grow the pipeline.
  • Help identify future apprenticeship sites and supportive placement environments.
• Representation, Storytelling & Advocacy
  • Represent Teacher Apprenticeship Minnesota and Black Men Teach locally and nationally.
  • Present at conferences, convenings, and funder briefings.
  • Support storytelling efforts that lift up apprentice voices, program impact, and lessons learned.
  • Serve as a visible advocate for culturally responsive, equity-centered teacher preparation.

• Experience as an educator and/or in educator preparation, apprenticeship, or alternative certification pathways.
• Demonstrated success supporting Black educators or other historically underrepresented groups.
• Strong coaching, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Deep commitment to racial equity, anti-racist practice, and culturally responsive teaching.
• Ability to navigate complex systems (districts, unions, higher ed, nonprofits) with credibility and care.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and co-designing work across organizations.

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made…